Salmond sets out case for independence vote

Salmond, who heads the Scottish National Party (SNP), said only independence would deliver a "21st century partnership of equals between Scotland and England."

The White Paper, "Your Scotland, Your Voice," paves the way for a Referendum Bill early next year with a vote in about 12 months.

It sets out a broad range of options, including keeping the status quo of limited autonomy from Westminster, more devolutionary powers for Scotland, full devolution with greater fiscal autonomy while remaining part of the United Kingdom, and independence.

But his minority government faces an uphill struggle to push the bill through the Scottish Holyrood parliament as all the other main parties oppose it, saying the country needs to concentrate on economic recovery.

"The debate in Scottish politics is no longer between change or no change," Salmond said in a statement.

"It's about the kind of change we seek, and the right of the people to choose their future in a free and fair referendum."

He said Scotland, which has had devolved government for the past 10 years, needed more powers to tackle the recession.

"The vast majority of people want to expand the responsibility of the parliament, so that we have more powers to do more for Scotland -- the economic and financial clout to fight recession and support recovery, the right to speak up for Scotland in Europe, and the ability to remove Trident nuclear weapons from our soil," Salmond said.

The First Minister, who before the global financial crisis had called for an "Arc of Prosperity" of smaller nations, including Ireland and Norway, said the White Paper offered the most detailed case ever for independence.

Salmond said he was flexible over the provisions and wording of a referendum, the only stipulation being that a vote of independence had to be included.

If the bill failed, he said the fight for independence would become a key issue in the next Scottish elections in 2011.

However, if the bill went through and the Scottish public voted against independence, he would accept that verdict, adding "a referendum is a once in a political generation event."

The SNP, which took power with a minority government in May 2007 narrowly defeating Labour, said polls consistently showed the Scots wanted more powers.

But a YouGov poll in the Daily Telegraph last week showed 57 percent of those who responded would say "no" to independence.

(Writing by Avril Ormsby; Editing by Steve Addison)